avast! 5 is coming… soon!

After a long time of keeping everything in secret, I’m glad that I can now disclose some preliminary information about the upcoming avast! version 5. The first thing to note is that the product is coming relatively soon. Namely, we’re currently planning to release it this October.

The product will be offered in three flavors: a free AV (that will supersede avast! 4.8 Home Edition), a paid AV (successor of avast! Professional Edition) and a full Internet Security suite. As usual, all customers (or users) with a valid avast! subscription will get a free upgrade to this new version.

The free AV will, of course, contain all the features from the existing Home Edition, plus a couple of new extras (I’ll be sharing more details on the blog as time goes by). The paid AV now includes a new virtualization module as well as all the features from the free AV and features previously exclusive to avast! 4.8 Pro. And finally, the suite adds an antispam and firewall module and will thus provide you with a complete, worry-free protection.

All three products will share the same antivirus engine (e.g. all of them will still have exactly same detection rates) that has been substantially improved and optimized. It may sound like a cliché, but it’s a fact: the new engine can detect more viruses, while actually consuming less resources.

The performance optimizations were not confined to the AV engine only; the program now uses various tricks to feel as light as possible and to not interfere with your work in any way. For example, we have radically improved the time it takes the computer to boot, making the slowdown imposed by avast! almost unnoticeable. I’ll be very interested in getting some feedback from you on this one (as soon as you get a chance to test it – please read on).

Starting with version 5, avast! now officially supports heuristics (proactive detection), although between me and you, many of the stuff has already been present in the previous versions – but we haven’t marketed it in any way. Also, detection of Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs) has been added. Additionally, version 5 includes a new code emulator (or in fact, a dynamic translation module, to be technically correct) that will be of great help e.g. when unpacking malware samples packed/protected by unknown packers (as is the case pretty often).

All three products also feature a new user interface which has been completely redesigned for this new version. We’re abandoning the dual (simple vs. enhanced) UI model and replacing it with a single comfortable console, designed for both novice and experienced users. I’m attaching a couple of screenshots to give you an idea of what the product actually looks like.

File System Shield (formerly "Standard Shield")

File System Shield Settings

Scan page

Scan Settings

Shield Statistics

Virus notification

The beta testing of avast! 5 will start in a couple of weeks (roughly by the end of July / beginning of August), so if you are interested to give it a try, please check back soon as I’ll be posting the details here on the blog as well as on our forums.

VLK, Is the link likely to be available for download today?…….
I am seriously starting to doubt avasts capabilities in having this beta released on time.
Can someone reply back on this blog forum and start to give out some straight answers rather than beat around the bush!…….

vijay

Come on VLK, Is the beta really going to be released this week?…….
I am seriously starting to doubt Avasts/Alwils capabilities in having this beta released on time.
Can you start to give some straight answers ASAP as to how close you are instead of avoiding people and beating around the bush!……….

vlk

Vijay, could you please stop flooding the blog with the same messages? (out of the 20 last comments 7 belong to you).

To paraphrase someone more famous, “…avast is never late, Frodo Baggins, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to.”

;’D

vijay

@vlk
Apologies VLK, didn’t mean to offend you or anyone.
It’s that I thought my comments where not coming through to the forum as I could not view them.
Just one of many people frustrated at the mo.
I appreciate that you guys are working non stop but would be good to know how near or far you guys are in finishing the beta.

jadinolf

vijay :@Gabriel
I appreciate your comment, but then if it is such a big project then remarks should not be made about the release date for this week or that (past tense), it would be ready by end of July/beginning of August.
For such a big and upcoming company false hopes should not be advised for those who have been waiting way past the cut off date in patient.

vijay :@Gabriel I appreciate your comment, but then if it is such a big project then remarks should not be made about the release date for this week or that (past tense), it would be ready by end of July/beginning of August.For such a big and upcoming company false hopes should not be advised for those who have been waiting way past the cut off date in patient.

Agreed and not all of us use a FREE avast!

Free or comercial, same thing, or almost…that’s an obvious motive why they aren’t rushing it, they are a respected AV company, if they get out a defective beta out, they will lose clients, respect and not to mention millions…

I don’t need to pay for avast!, i use avast! 4.8 Home Edition + another apps and my computer is 100% free of malicious and rogue applications.

vijay

Seems like that Avast as failed in having the beta released for this week.
When do we get the next update, if any from you guys?………………..

gwr

hey give VLK a break! Have any of you tried writing an antivirus program? It ain’t as easy as it looks!!

Tim19

Does the new avast have that Cloud thing ???

Bunyip

Will it include male and female sounds?

Brian A.Maisey (brit.maisey)

Don`t know why we are posting all these blogs seems nobody pays any atention untill such time as vlk gets browned off with us. Maybe he will send me to hell that way I`ll know he`s there. Then I won`t need Avast becos down there it so full of malware, no way Avast could deal with em Sorry to be using up so much space – I`m fed up too

http://- Gabriel

Hey vlk, i forgot to ask, will avast! 5 Home Edition have the speaking promts? As in: when it updates or finds a malicious application?

Sorry, i’m just curious.

XT-G

What beta version of Avast! (HE/PE/ISS) will be available for downloading and when?

Hey, what is wrong with you? VLK and the boys from ALWIL are very busy working hard to give us the best antivirus and your criticism only! Have a little patience, I also want to try the beta version but I prefer to wait a bit and they did not release a mediocre beta with many bugs and that up could damage my system. I know that they have postponed the date for releasing the beta but they certainly have good reasons. Do not you think? Come on boy, calm and wait a bit, I do not think you have to do a lot of time because surely the release of the beta will be soon

Sprite a.k.a. Jonny

But then don’t you think that the boys from Alwil should apologize for the delay and let everyone know when it will be likely to be released.

Common courtesy it’s called!………..

Hya

Hi,

this is veryyyyyyyyyyyy gooooooooood,

veryyyyy thanks.

please talk about system requirements of this version… this version is working on AMD Athlon XP 1500+ AND 1GB RAM ???

Sprite a.k.a. Jonny

Can anyone at Alwil give an update on this soooo called beta release.

Is it still going ahead or have you guys given up on this project?…….

http://petersaints.co.cc petersaints

Yeah… the previous deadline was passed so the least you could you would tell us why and if possible establish a new one

sprite a.k.a. jonny

Hey VLK……Is it just me or did anyone else see a note posted just earlier on from you to advise that the beta won’t be released until 01st September with no explanation as to why?……..

Sage

If this were my blog and I had asinine people make demands like some here, I shut the comment section off. Wait, wait, wait, you impatience little wimp. You had the beta you’d be the first complaining that you had trouble

dknyinva

Hey VLK, take all these frustration comments as a good sign that your product is in high demand. Just keep us posted and you will see people calm and be very supportive. Just don’t let us hanging and make promise that don’t deliver.

Sprite a.k.a. Jonny

So if you plan not to translate it into Russian then are able to tell us when you plan to release the actual beta in English!……….

vlk

Sorry for the delays, we just don’t want to rush it.
But the beta is almost here now.

http://www.ppinfotek.com yanto chiang

Dear VLK,

I just would like to know when exactly avast! version 5 for beta version will be launched?

Regards,
Yanto Chiang

kantagara

Hmh I think it will be released on September 1st

Sprite a.k.a. Jonny

@kantagara
Why do you say that it will be released on the 01st September.
Is there something you know that we all eager people don’t?…………

i’ll evanesce

hello hello again!!! im here again to ask if in avast! 5 there will be sound when a virus will be detected??? like “enngk! enngk! enngk! a virus has been detected” ??? im really interested or if they’re going to change it to a simpler sound like “Virus Eliminated” WOW!!! i wish they still have that feature!!! im waiting for you avast 5!!!

Tim19

like i said: Just wait till it released you dont want to have a program like AVG every week another new patch and fixes… and will this program have that Cloud scan thing? ( like Pnda cloud antivirus ? )

Sprite a.k.a. Jonny

Hey VLK. Thanks for the update advising that the Beta is almost here.
Are you able to be a bit more precise in advising how almost you are.

Ken69

Will Avast 5 have link scanner like AVG? And I hope it has some kind of Cloud base along with traditional AV definition method to enhance protection when online. Also I hope it does not have that silly announcement when a virus has been detected. It alarms people, it’s unnecessary. I hope we don’t have to wait too much longer. I’m sick of delays. This happens all the time with software business! I hope we don’t have to wait too much longer. Greetings from Ireland! But the beta is almost here now- does that mean 1 week or 1 month away? Because Quicksys Disk Defrag will be available soon was said on 30th July and its 18th August and still hasn’t been released. I’m getting very impatient and checking this blog so many times because I don’t want to miss it the minute it’s out, that’s why we like a date or some time after such a date so I don’t have to keep checking this blog everyday. I hope we get an update. Hope this comment doesn’t look too long, not my fault, there’s no preview comment.

cako

the blog of avast is losing credibility.
you said at the end of July and we are nearing the end of August.
where is the credibility of the avast team?
where is the avast 5 beta?
i am from Brazil and we are waiting!

Sage

The credibility isn’t in the blog cako, is in the final product. I’m positive 5 will be ever as great as 4 when the final product is ready. Take your time guys, I for one would like it correct the first time without the many updates service packs

Jab

I hope they keep the current virus alert. It’s one of the features that sets Avast! apart from other AVs. Also it lets the user know that the blue ball spinning in the lower right corner of the screen is actually doing something!

Wang

Congratulations for the first beta release!
I’ve seen your post on the forum.

Sprite a.k.a. Jonny

Can anyone from the Avast Team tell us how close the beta is from being released today. A response today would be appreciated. Thx